Walter Smith shrugs off Bougherra speculation

HAVING already survived without Madjid Bougherra for half of this season, Rangers manager Walter Smith was never likely to be even mildly fazed by renewed transfer speculation surrounding his itinerant defender.

Barcelona and Sevilla are the latest clubs credited with an interest in the 27-year-old following his performances for Algeria last month in the Africa Cup of Nations. Bougherra is under contract at Rangers until 2012 and his market value has certainly been enhanced since the Ibrox club paid 2.5million to sign him from Charlton Athletic in the summer of 2008.

It is his performances for his country rather than his club, however, which have raised Bougherra's profile. A combination of injury, suspension and international commitments which have often stretched beyond the limits set by Rangers have restricted the player to just 17 appearances for the SPL champions this season.

So while Smith is aware any of his players will be fair game in the transfer market this summer due to Rangers' ongoing financial vulnerability, he is able to keep Bougherra's situation firmly in perspective.

"We had this last year with Madjid and it looks as if we're getting it this year as well," smiled Smith. "The level of teams linked with him is getting better with every new bit of speculation. It's surrounded him for ages and will probably continue to surround him. But the only thing I need to concern myself with is that he keeps playing well for Rangers from now until the end of the season. Then, if there is a similar outcome to all the speculation as there was last year, he carries it on into next season.

"He has played really well for us since he joined the club. As long as he continues to play well, for whatever period of time he is going to be at Rangers, that's the main thing for me. I stress to you that despite this latest speculation, and I imagine it is quite nice for any player to be linked with Barcelona, it is just speculation at the moment."

Bougherra returned to action for Rangers in last Saturday's 0-0 Scottish Cup stalemate at St Mirren where, in the absence of suspended captain David Weir, he partnered Danny Wilson in central defence.

While Smith is full of praise for Wilson's performances during Bougherra's lengthy periods of absence, the 18-year-old is likely to drop to the bench for tonight's SPL fixture at Motherwell with Weir available again. "It's not a dilemma for us," said Smith. "But what he have found in Danny is a young player who can play at this level in the manner he has, which has been terrific. It means we can use him when previously we were playing lads like Lee McCulloch in there out of position."

As he looks to protect a ten-point lead at the top of the SPL, Smith is fortified by the return to fitness of strikers Kris Boyd and Kenny Miller who both made substitute appearances on Saturday.

"Boyd won't play for 90 minutes against Motherwell," said Smith, "because he hasn't got that level of fitness back yet and we have to make sure he comes back in the proper manner. But Kenny is back to full fitness and we have everyone available now apart from DaMarcus Beasley who should be back at the weekend."

Smith will extend especially warm handshakes across the technical areas at Fir Park tonight before doing battle with a Motherwell side now under the command of 69-year-old Craig Brown and his 62-year-old assistant Archie Knox.

Both men are close friends of Smith who will celebrate his own 62nd birthday later this month. He sees the return of Brown and Knox to the frontline as a triumph in the battle against ageism in football. "People are too quick to jump to the conclusion that when you are older, you don't have a great deal to offer," he said. "I think the lot of us are showing there is life in the old dogs yet."